Podcasts

Labor, Delivery & Life Beyond

Nursing your baby may be natural, but it doesn't necessarily come naturally. Bonnie Petrie spoke with the pediatrician who wrote Colic Solved: The Essential Guide to Infant Reflux and the Care of Your Crying, Difficult-to- Soothe Baby about the many benefits of breastfeeding (including a decreased risk of colic), a lactation consultant about what to really expect and how to prepare for nursing your baby, and a couple of regular moms , one who wasn't sure she wanted to breastfeed at all, but gave it a shot, and is so glad she did, and another who had a rough start, but was able to make it work.

Believe it or not, they let you leave the hospital with your baby without a manual, so we've put together one for you. In this Pea in the Podcast, Bonnie Petrie speaks with a noted pediatrician about what to expect from the moment your baby exits your body. She talks about the unexpected way your baby may look in the first few moments of life, she talks about nursing and jaundice and circumcision and diapers and colic and the caring for the cord stump and much more. She also spends some time talking about SIDS, and the latest recommendations about how to decrease the risk to your baby. There's a lot you need to know, and we have it all for you here.

Being a new mom will be one of the greatest challenges you will ever face. You can multiply that by 1000 if you're a single mom. Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie speaks with the co-author of the book The Complete Single Mother and co-founder of the website SingleMommyhood.com and the author of Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman's Guide to help you and your baby not only survive this challenge, but thrive. We also have a financial expert who has some fantastic ideas about how to make ends meet on a tight budget.

Even if you breastfeed, many moms also bottle feed, especially when they return to work. Some moms - for a myriad of reasons - don't breastfeed at all. In this Pea in the Podcast, Bonnie Petrie spoke with the pediatric gastroenterologist who wrote Colic Solved: The Essential Guide to Infant Reflux and the Care of Your Crying, Difficult-to- Soothe Baby about thinks choosing a formula, managing things like reflux and cow's milk protein intolerance. She also spoke with a mom who bottle fed from day one about how to choose bottles, how to keep them clean, how to handle night feeding, and essentially everything a bottle feeding mommy needs to know.

Nursing your baby may be natural, but it doesn't necessarily come naturally. Bonnie Petrie spoke with the pediatrician who wrote Colic Solved: The Essential Guide to Infant Reflux and the Care of Your Crying, Difficult-to- Soothe Baby about the many benefits of breastfeeding (including a decreased risk of colic), a lactation consultant about what to really expect and how to prepare for nursing your baby, and a couple of regular moms , one who wasn't sure she wanted to breastfeed at all, but gave it a shot, and is so glad she did, and another who had a rough start, but was able to make it work.

Believe it or not, they let you leave the hospital with your baby without a manual, so we've put together one for you. In this Pea in the Podcast, Bonnie Petrie speaks with a noted pediatrician about what to expect from the moment your baby exits your body. She talks about the unexpected way your baby may look in the first few moments of life, she talks about nursing and jaundice and circumcision and diapers and colic and the caring for the cord stump and much more. She also spends some time talking about SIDS, and the latest recommendations about how to decrease the risk to your baby. There's a lot you need to know, and we have it all for you here.

No matter how well you prepare, there is a chance you will go into the hospital to deliver your baby the old fashioned way, and that will not be the way it goes at all. You need to prepare yourself for the possibility that you will have your baby via cesarean section. Bonnie Petrie spoke with a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine who is an expert in c-sections and can explain how and why they might happen, and a nurse who has worked at the bedside of many mother's whose babies came into the world this way. It's nothing to be afraid of, but it's something to be prepared for. We walk you through it in this Pea in the Podcast.

The blood in the cord that connects you with your baby is pulsing with potentially lifesaving stem cells. Doctors are able to collect some of that blood, and save it until it is needed by someone. Should you have that blood collected, banked, and saved for your family in case it can help someone who gets sick? Should you donate it to a public cord blood bank? Bonnie Petrie talks to the experts about the benefits and costs of both options in this Pea in the Podcast.

We hate to think about it, but sometimes labor can get complicated, and it's best to be prepared. Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie and Pregnancy for Dummies and The Pregnancy Bible co-author Dr. Keith Eddleman walk you through some of the more common labor complications and how doctors handle them so that your baby can be born strong and healthy.

What kind of labor and delivery do you want? If you could write your own birth story, what would it be like? Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie outlines some of your choices, with the help of the co-author of the books Pregnancy for Dummies and The Pregnancy Bible and several other experts in various approaches to birthing ranging from a standard hospital birth to an at-home water birth. Mommies who've given birth using various techniques also share their experiences.

Being a new mom will be one of the greatest challenges you will ever face. You can multiply that by 1000 if you're a single mom. Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie speaks with the co-author of the book The Complete Single Mother and co-founder of the website SingleMommyhood.com and the author of Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman's Guide to help you and your baby not only survive this challenge, but thrive. We also have a financial expert who has some fantastic ideas about how to make ends meet on a tight budget.

Pregnancy Health & Complications

You know pregnancy is supposed to be a time of joy, but sometimes it just isn't, and that's ok. Bonnie Petrie speaks with a psychologist who specializes in prenatal and post partum adjustment about the very real feelings of unhappiness, unattractiveness, fear or dread you may be experiencing. There is no reason to compound these feelings with feelings of shame or guilt when there is nothing to feel ashamed of or guilty about. Learn that you are not alone, and how to manage these feelings in this Pea in the Podcast.

I am not getting any sleep! Most of you will not have to wait until your baby is born to say this. Bonnie Petrie speaks with a sleep expert in the Pea in the Podcast about how to manage the symptoms of pregnancy that might be keeping you awake, like reflux, the need to constantly pee, and physical discomfort, so that you can get some halfway decent sleep before your baby comes.

Can you clean the litter box? Can you have sushi? Can you fly? Should you exercise? Can you take a hot bath? How 'bout your coffee habit? Do you need to break it? Bonnie Petrie spoke with the author of the book The Panic Free Pregnancy to ease your fears about what you can and what you should not do when a little one is on the way.

We may be pregnant, but we still want to be pretty, right? Bonnie Petrie talks with the owner of a wellness spa just for pregnant women about how to keep your hair and skin gorgeous when hormones are trying to destroy you! She also talks with a prenatal yoga instructor and massage therapist about how to feel good as your body changes to accommodate another human being.

Pregnancy is an amazing experience, but it isn't always easy. Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie and Pregnancy for Dummies and The Pregnancy Bible co-author Dr. Keith Eddleman discuss some of the complications you can face during pregnancy, from gestational diabetes to pre-eclampsia. Dr. Eddleman talks about how these complications can be managed so you and your baby have a healthy, happy birthday.

Pregnancy is an amazing experience, but it isn't always easy. Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie and Pregnancy for Dummies and The Pregnancy Bible co-author Dr. Keith Eddleman discuss some of the complications you can face during pregnancy, from gestational diabetes to pre-eclampsia. Dr. Eddleman talks about how these complications can be managed so you and your baby have a healthy, happy birthday.

Yes, most of you CAN do it, and some of you will really, really want to. Like, all of the time. Bonnie Petrie spoke with the sexologist who co-authored Your Orgasmic Pregnancy: Little Sex Secrets Every Hot Mama Should Know about how to really enjoy this time with your partner.

Sometimes your journey to becoming a mommy takes a little longer than you thought or hoped it would. Bonnie Petrie speaks with a fertility expert about when intervention becomes an option, and what that means. She also walks you through the many options available to women who just need a little help getting pregnant. Bonnie also speaks with a psychologist who faced her own challenges with fertility about the emotional road you may be on, and how to keep your heart whole as you face this challenge.

Oh. My. God. You're having more than one! A multiple pregnancy can be a bit (or a lot) different than a singleton pregnancy. Bonnie Petrie talks to an obstetrician who specializes in multiple pregnancies about what your experience might be like. Will you be bigger? Are you at greater risk for pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia? Will your babies be premature? Will you have to go on bedrest? Bonnie also talks to a mom of twins about her labor and delivery experience, and what her life is like now that her spectacular twins are here.

They used to say that once you've had one c-section you will have all your babies by c-section. That's not necessary true. VBACs are happening every day, all around the country. Dr. Mark Landon is a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine at Ohio State University Medical Center who authored a landmark study and vaginal births after cesarean sections. Bonnie Petrie spoke with him about the risks and benefits associated with VBACs, and two jubilant moms who've had successful VBACs. If you think VBAC is for you, this is the Pea in the Podcast for you.

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and many moms to be find that the most exciting news of their lives can also make them fear for their jobs. Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie speaks with a business protocol expert about the best way to tell your boss and colleagues your exciting news, an expert in maternity leave on how to make the most of that, and the obstetrician who wrote The Panic Free Pregnancy about how much work you should do while pregnant.

Preparing For Your Baby

Retailers would have you believe you're a negligent parent if you don't make sure your child has ever single thing on every shelf at the baby store. Not true. What do you really need, and how can you get it without going into bankruptcy? Bonnie Petrie spoke with the author of The Everything Get Ready for Baby Book and MSN money columnist (and mom) Liz Pulliam Weston about what baby gear you must get, and how you can pay for it without emptying the college fund.

Many couples are taking some time during their pregnancies to enjoy a getaway before the baby comes. You can travel to an exotic, far away land, like Brad and Angelina, or you can head to a bed and breakfast for some quiet time, just the two of you. Bonnie Petrie speaks to a travel expert about how to get the most out of your Babymoon, and the owner of a chain of spas just for pregnant women and their families about Babymoons that are all about pampering you and bonding with your partner before baby.

You're not the only person having a baby. In most cases, there's a Dad involved in the process, too. How is he feeling? Does he really think you're beautiful? Does he really, really, really want to be in the delivery room with you? Well, Bonnie Petrie asked one, and she also talked to the owner of a website geared toward expectant dads about what they may be experiencing during this dramatic time of transition in both of your lives.

There's more to having a baby than just having a baby. You have to think about how to financially accommodate for this extra person in your home. They need to eat, have new clothes, get new sports gear, braces, they need to go to college, oh my! You may be wondering if you can change your mind, but don't worry. MSN Money Columnist Liz Pulliam Weston talks you through the financial tweaks you'll need to make for baby. There are also tax considerations, life insurance…and, yes, now you really need a will. We have experts on al of those subjects with everything you need to know about this daunting subject.

So you and you're partner have decided it's time to have a baby. Well, the birds and the bees is slightly more complicated than you might have been led to believe. In this Pea in the Podcast, Bonnie Petrie speaks with a fertility expert about how you should prepare your body to increase your chances of getting pregnant, when and how you can time sex to increase the chances that sperm and egg will meet, and how long you should wait before paying your doctor a visit.

You're eating for two, right? And too much activity is bad for the baby! Wrong! Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie talks to the obstetrician who wrote The Panic Free Pregnancy and a nutritionist about what you should and shouldn't eat for a healthy pregnancy and baby, as well as what supplements you should take. Bonnie also talks to a prenatal yoga instructor who is also a registered nurse about what kind of exercise makes for a healthy pregnancy and can even make your labor and delivery easier!

From smoking to shopping to eating an unhealthy diet, we all have some bad habits we'll need to break now that there is a little one on the way. Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie speaks with an expert in the field of addictive behaviors, as well as the author of the book The Panic Free Pregnancy about how you can successfully break your own bad habits!

What's in a name? A LOT! Your baby's name will, in many ways, define them, and you don't want to choose it lightly. Bonnie Petrie speaks with a baby naming expert who has many ideas about how to choose a name your baby will be proud of, and how to avoid the pitfalls that have led lesser parents to name their kids things like ESPN. No, really. ESPN. Jennifer Moss at Babynames.com is our expert in this Pea in the Podcast.

From smoking to shopping to eating an unhealthy diet, we all have some bad habits we'll need to break now that there is a little one on the way. Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie speaks with an expert in the field of addictive behaviors, as well as the author of the book The Panic Free Pregnancy about how you can successfully break your own bad habits!

From smoking to shopping to eating an unhealthy diet, we all have some bad habits we'll need to break now that there is a little one on the way. Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie speaks with an expert in the field of addictive behaviors, as well as the author of the book The Panic Free Pregnancy about how you can successfully break your own bad habits!

Week by Week of Your Pregnancy

When you have a positive pregnancy test what you should do is you should make sure that you call your healthcare provider and set up an appointment so you can have a history, a physical exam and necessary lab results from that test and common sense things: you should be eating well, you should be taking good care of yourself, exercising, prenatal vitamins, you want to take really good care of your body to carry a nice healthy pregnancy.

They call the second trimester of pregnancy "the honeymoon" of pregnancy, but that doesn't mean it's all sunshine and flowers. Your morning sickness may stick around, you may begin to struggle with reflux or hip pain. But you also may feel a surge of energy (even the sexual kind). This would be a great time to take a "Babymoon." Also, during the second trimester, there are several important prenatal tests, during one of which you might find out if you're having a boy or a girl! Join Bonnie Petrie as she speaks with a Certified Nurse midwife and a second trimester mom-to-be for this exhaustive review of the second trimester.

Your baby is almost here! You're getting your body ready for labor and delivery and your house ready for baby! This is a time of joy, and of challenge. Your back hurts. Your hips hurt. You have to pee all the time. You're exhausted, but you can't sleep. And what are those contractions I'm feeling? Is it time to go to the hospital, or are they just practice contractions? And what in the world is a bloody show? Bonnie Petrie and Certified Nurse Midwife Leslie Ludka answer all of those questions for you, and more. Bonnie also talks with a mom-to-be who is so far into the third trimester, she's overdue!

The co-author of the books Pregnancy for Dummies and The Pregnancy Bible Dr. Keith Eddleman is joined by Certified Professional Midwife Susan Scott Gill as Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie walks you through "labor day" Bonnie is also joined by a new mom who shares her labor and delivery story. This podcast will give you a sense of what to expect when your own labor begins and your baby is born.

Pregnancy is an amazing experience, but it isn't always easy. Pea in the Podcast host Bonnie Petrie and Pregnancy for Dummies and The Pregnancy Bible co-author Dr. Keith Eddleman discuss some of the complications you can face during pregnancy, from gestational diabetes to pre-eclampsia. Dr. Eddleman talks about how these complications can be managed so you and your baby have a healthy, happy birthday.

Learn about what to expect during your first prenatal appointment and answers to common questions. Learn about the development of your baby's heart beat, common miscarriage concerns, whether a doula is right for you.